Along with its destruction, Yolanda also brought with it great change to the municipality of San Remigio, Antique.
While the local civic center – partially-damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda – remains standing, it no longer serves as the town’s main municipal facility. With the support of RAY DILG funds, and with disaster resilience in mind, local officials instead constructed a new municipal facility in a safer land area.
Last October 2014, the newly completed venue played host a Provincial Senior Citizen’s Congress for the entire province.
The annual Senior Citizens Congress, held in the newly rehabilitated San Remegio Civic Center
“We were the first one to use the new civic center after it was constructed,” says Noli Valenzuela, a project development officer with DSWD. “The Congress was attended by 1,500 participants from 18 municipalities.”
Noli Valenzuela, project development officer with DSWD, with friends at the newly-rehabilitated San Remegio Civic Center – August 2015.
‘One big happy family’
Schools, citizens and other government agencies have also benefited from the new and expansive space.
“Our central school doesn’t have a gym, so all of our school activities – such as graduation and division wide contests, like the Children’s Congress – are usually held in the civic center, where there is space for all participants,” Noli says.
“Our municipality learned so much from Typhoon Yolanda,”he explained. “We have strengthened our DRRM practices by conducting regular trainings, from the municipal down to the barangay level.”
“The civic center is really essential and significant to each and every one of us here in San Remegio. We use it for all our activities – sports, cultural, academic, social, name it. It is where we gather, and feel like a one big happy family,” he added.
The newly-rehabilitated San Remegio Civic Center
After the Storm: Two Years On 